Vertical engine



Patantd June 6, I899.

W. E. CRANE.

VERTICAL ENGINE.

(Application filed. Sept. 18, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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m: NORRIS PETERs co, PHOYO-LYTNQ, mwwavuw, ov c UNTThn STATES PATENT Trice.

\VILLIAM E. CRANE, OF VVATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

VERTICAL ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,368, dated June 6, 1899. Application filed September 18, 1897. Serial Ila 652,122. (N0 modelJ To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. CRANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vaterbury, county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful lm provem cuts in Vertical Engines, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for balancing the weight of the moving parts of vertical double-acting steam and similar motor engines, so as to secure a uniform action on the downstroke, in which the weight of the moving parts assists the steam-pressure, and on the upstroke, in which this weight opposes the steam-pressure, the especial object of the invention being to provide a simpler, cheaper, and more reliable means for this purpose than those heretofore employed. I secure this result by the use of a balancing-piston moving against atmospheric pressure on the downstroke of the engine and assisted thereby on the upstroke, the opposite side of the piston being subjected to a pressure less than that of the atmosphere. The pressure upon the piston opposing the atmospheric pressure may be substantially a vacuum or of any desired amount, the balancing-piston being made of the propersize, according to such pressure and the weight of the moving parts; but I preferably employ an adjustable reliefvalve, by which the amount of such pressure opposing the atmospheric pressure can be controlled and regulated, as desired, to secure the desired action.

For a full understanding of the invention a detailed description of the same will now be given in connection with the accompanyin g drawings, showing constructions embodying the invention in preferred forms as applied to a sin gle-cylinder vertical-crank engine of common form, and the features forming the invention will then be specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical diagrammatic section of the engine, showing the balancing-piston between the engine-piston and crank-shaft. Fig. 2 is a similar partial section showing the balancing-piston above the engine-piston.

Referring to said drawingsrfi is the engine-cylinder, B the piston, C the pistonrod, and D the crank-rod connecting the piston to the crank E on crank-shaft F, all of which parts, with the engine-frame G, may be of any suitable construction of a doubleacting engine.

As shown in Fig. l, the piston-rod .C and crank-rod D are connected through a piston a, which forms the balancing-piston of my construction and works in the balancing-cylinder 1), formed or supported in the frame G in any suitable manner. This cylinder 1) is open at its lower end, so that the lower side of the piston a is subjected to atmospheric pressure,and is closed atits upper end by the head 0, through which the piston-rod C works. This head 0 is provided with an air-relief valve (Z, opening upward, so as to permit the escape of air from the cylinder b on the upper side of the balancing-piston a and prevent the return of air thereto. This air-relief valve may be of any common or suitable construction, but preferably is adjustable, as common in air-relief valves, the common screw-plug Z being shown for this purpose, so that the air-relief valve may be set to preserve substantially a Vacuum in the cylinder sure in this portion of the cylinder, and thus secure exactly the balancing action desired. In some constructions it may be found desirable to thus carry a few pounds pressure, so as to secure some compression and cushion on the upstroke instead of cushioning in the cylinder A on piston B or in addition to such cushioning.

The construction shown in Fig. 2 is substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 1, except that the balancing-cylinder b is mounted upon the head of the engine-cylinder A and the balancingpiston a formed by a smaller extension 6 of the engine piston-rod This construction is desirable in that it involves no special construction of the engineframe.

The operation of the construction will be understood without extended description, it being obvious that the balancing-piston a in both constructions shown will work against atmospheric pressure on the downstroke, thus b above the piston a or to carry some pres- C or by a separate rod connected thereto.

opposing the steam-pressure, so as to offset the engine, and that upon the return-or up stroke the atmospheric pressure below thepiston a will exert the same pressure upon the piston, tending to lift the moving parts of the engine, .so that the work of the piston B is substantially the same on the down and up strokes and the desired uniform action of the engine thus secured. As the piston amoves upward any air in the cylinder 2) above piston a on starting or resulting from leakage in excess of the pressure for which the relief- Valve 01 is set will be forced out through the relief-valve, so as to secure the desired pressure upon the top of the piston or in opposition to the atmospheric pressure on its under It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the form or arrangement of the engine shown, as the invention may be applied to engines of many different classes and in any manner suitable to secure the desired result.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with a vertical doubleacting engine, of abalancing-piston subjected to atmospheric pressure and to a pressure less than atmospheric upon its opposite sides and arranged to be acted upon by the atmospheric pressure to oppose the main piston during the downstroke of the engine and to assist themain piston during the upstroke, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a vertical doubleacting engine, of a balancing-piston subjected to atmospheric pressure and to a pressure less than atmospheric upon its opposite sides and arranged to be acted upon by the atmospheric pressure to oppose the main piston during the downstroke of the engine and to assist the main piston during the upstroke, and an adjustable relief-valve for controlling the pressure on the balancing-piston opposing the atmospheric pressure, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM E. CRANE.

Witnesses:

O. J. SAWYER, T. F. KEHoE. 

